How to Take Care of Your Voice
Teaching a Playshop musical theater class last 11 August 2007 gave me the opportunity to share what my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor has been drumming into me for years, not that I necessarily strictly follow them myself.
Minimize Talking Sound is produced by the rubbing together of vocal cords, therefore, just like any muscle, constant aggravated use will wear them out. So, unless necessary, avoid using your vocal cords before a show.
A perfect example of the result of well-rested vocal cords is Sharon Cuneta, whose voice was unusually in fine form during her Mega Valentine Concert. All became clear when she revealed that she lost her voice three days prior to the concert date.
Consequently, her doctor told her that she has to be silent and shut up, something that the Megastar found difficult to do since she’s well known for talking almost nonstop. But the silence definitely paid off in a full bodied voice and soaring notes.
Sleep Unlike doing choreography, lack of sleep will ultimately show in your voice, so make sure to get your usual number of hours of sleep before a performance.
Avoid Cold Drinks Generally, vocal cords like the warm to lukewarm temperatures, so shocking them with ice cold temperatures should be avoided.
Avoid Chocolate Groan. I don’t know why this delectable delight had to be singled out. Personally, I cannot give them up so the key word here is balance. Eat chocolate but not too much. Sweets, in general, have been found to irritate vocal cords.
Avoid Spicy Foods Spicy foods are another item that have been found to irritate vocal cords.
NO Smoking Cigarette smoke, whether from first or second hand sources, kills lung cells. Less lung cells means less oxygen. Less oxygen means less sustained notes. Case closed.
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Chocolate is avoided because of the caffeine it contains. Caffeine increases stomach acid production, which may cause acid reflux, which in turn is bad for the vocal cords.